Rutherford man indicted on vehicular homicide charge in death of Carlstadt woman

A Rutherford man who allegedly was drunk when he lost control of his car last summer has been indicted on aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide charges in the death of a mother of four who was struck by his car as she walked home from work.

A grand jury, sitting in Hackensack, returned a three-count indictment on Monday against Victor Kwak, 23, exposing him to penalties of up to 20 years to life for allegedly causing the death of Sandra Munoz-Molina, 28, of Carlstadt.

Sustaining severe head injuries, Munoz-Molina died on Aug. 24, 2013 at Hackensack University Medical Center, two days after being hit by Kwak’s Lexis as she walked along Railroad Avenue in East Rutherford from her job at a nearby beauty salon.

Kwak was driving east on Railroad Avenue toward Everett Place around 7:40 p.m. on Aug. 22 when he lost control of his 2006 Lexus GS430, struck the curb on the south side of the road, then crossed to the north side and onto the sidewalk. The car knocked down a tree and hit a street light and a wooden utility pole before striking Munoz-Molina, authorities said.

In addition to the first-degree manslaughter charge, Kwak was indicted on first- and second-degree counts of death by auto for allegedly driving recklessly while intoxicated and within 1,000 feet of a school.

Kwak has been free on $75,000 bail.

Munoz-Molina, who according to family members dreamed of one day owning her own beauty salon with her sisters, left behind four young sons between 3 and 8 years old at the time of her death. Her parents and five siblings have been helping the boys’ father, a cook at a local diner, to cope with the loss of their mother.

There were 164 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in New Jersey in 2012, according to statistics complied by the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, which has been fighting against drunk driving and underage drinking for more than two decades. Texas and California led the list with 1,296 and 803 alcohol-related fatalities, respectively. That year, there were also nearly 25,700 arrests for driving under the influence in New Jersey, the foundation’s website said.